LONDON' October 29, 2015 was a special day for Sotheby's Auction
House. Under the auspices and with the participation of Albert, the
Crown Prince of Monaco, an auction was organized on the occasion of
the 50th Death Anniversary of Winston Churchill.

The main organizers of the event were Prince Albert of Monaco, the
British Ambassador to Monaco and the former Prime Minister and current
Ambassador of Armenia Dr. Armen Sarkissian. The entire proceeds of the
auction were allocated to Prince Albert's charities related to
climatic changes.

Items being auctioned were the drinks, cigars and menswear of renowned
brands and others objects favored by Churchill.

During the auction the main attention was focused on the statue of
Churchill by the well-known sculptor Oscar Nemon and a decades old
bottle of `Ararat' Armenian brandy with an interesting background
history. Many years ago, this unique bottle of Armenian brandy was
sold at an auction by Christy's for more than GBP 15,000. According to
the documents provided the bottle was filled from the same barrels
from which for many years Stalin supplied Churchill with `Ararat'
Armenian brandy.

The exclusive bottle of brandy was donated to the auction by former
Prime Minister and current Ambassador of Armenia Dr. Armen Sarkissian.

Sotheby's auction house was filled with many high class aristocrats.
What happened at the auction next, surpassed everyone's expectation;
The 70 year old `Ararat' was sold for GBP 80,000, which is equal to
USD 120,000!

The participants to the auction with amazement and admiration spoke
about Armenia and the Armenians. Hopefully the unprecedented success
of the Armenian brandy in misty Albion will help to promote the fame
of `Ararat' brand.

When and where did Churchill first drink the Armenian brandy?

My wife Vivienne and I had the pleasure of enjoying the friendship of
Winston Churchill's daughter Sara for many years, starting from late
1960s. When for the first time she was invited to dinner, she noticed
in our sitting room on the piano, a bottle of `Ararat' Armenian
brandy. She looked at the bottle with amazement and said,

`From 1945 until his death, my father used to drink this brandy.'

Then Sara told us when and where Churchill first drank `Ararat' brandy.

During the Yalta Conference In 1945 February, after the dinner Stalin
asks Churchill if he wished to have a drink?

`I like a brandy with my cigar', answers the British Prime Minister.

The host offers Churchill `Ararat', the best Armenian brandy.

According to Sara, Churchill `falls in love' with `Ararat' Armenian
brandy and asks Stalin;

`Where can I purchase few bottles of this brandy?'

Stalin instructs the Soviet ambassador to the U.K. to present
Churchill with a case (12 bottles) of `Ararat' every month.

`My father passed away, but we continued receiving every moth a case
of `Ararat'. Many years later, someone realizes that the Embassy has
been sending brandy to a `dead' Churchill for the past ten years!
Unfortunately from that day on our source of the Armenian brandy dried
up! By the way I used to enjoy `Ararat' as much as my father', added
Sara.

And according to Sara, following dinner, the only thing left on the
dining table was an empty bottle of `Ararat' brandy.

ARMENIAN BRANDY,
Made from white grapes
With spiritual dancing crystal water
Like the soul of angelic people ––
Those who lost their kin … ancient lands
Paintings … bookshelves … altars … arts,
Living as orphans on many sand…s…

Yet … They were able to breath again
Through their spirit … Through their faith
Despite being cent-less … Yet rich
Gifting others with their artful hands…
What was seeded in their genes…

They planted grapes
Waiting to feed their beloved ––
And make many folk-men happy.
Giving them a little of “spiritual sins”
Relieving their writhes, their wraths
Despite being themselves in unsolvable despairs.

Those who could afford the drink
Loved and shared
Their Armenian ARARAT Brandy
Prepared from honest~cheerful~grapes…
Squeezed by limbs through decades
Irrigated by their tears…bleeding sweat…
Shared with sensuous qualities of
Gomidasian* chorus’ cadence
With sounds of dancing feet after
Marching on the rocky roads
Of flying folklores
Through Khachaturian Symphonies
Singing with starved voices
Asking justice…
For their grievous cause!

With Father’s Day only a few weeks away, Forbes presents ideas for a perfect gift.

“Spirits are always a good gift for the old man… They’ll impress the recipient with your ingenuity and savoir faire. All prices are approximate and will vary by state,” Joseph V. Micallef writes.

Among others Forbes offers Armenian brandy as a gift.

“Armenia is one of the world’s oldest brandy producers, although its products are little known in the US. Nairi is a 20 YO Armenian brandy produced in the Ararat Valley with indigenous grape varieties. The brandy is a deep, dark amber color and offers a smooth, silky character on the palate with aromas and flavors of dried fruit, spice notes of cinnamon and cloves and a balsamic character,” Forbes says.